The Twelve R’s

The Twelve R’s for Reducing our Carbon Footprint and Restoring our Environment:

Request Renewable EnergyRefuse * Reduce * Reconnect * Replenish

Respect * Rethink * Recycle * Restore Resist * Remember

REDUCING OUR CONSUMPTION OFFOSSIL FUELS AND TOXIC CHEMICALS

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Request / Demand Renewable Energy Clean Alternatives to Fossil Fuels: Solar US’s most abundant source of renewable energy

Rooftop panels are more attractive than solar farms & reduce the need for electrical grids.

Solar farms are becoming the Piedmont’s largest source of renewable energy.

Renewable Energy Clean Alternatives:Wind On Land and Offshore

An excellent source of energy for mountainous and coastal areas where wind velocity is high.

Hydroelectric An excellent source of energy for communities close to large dams..

RenewableEnergy· Geothermal

· · · · · A good source of energy in isolated, shady and low-wind areas.

.

Refuse to buy gas powered vehicles Purchase an electric car and a solar charging station

Polaris GEM e4Ford Focus Electric

According to Business Insider, a slew of long-range, electric cars are expected to hit the market by 2020. Several automakers are working on EVs with a range of 200-plus miles that will have a friendly price tag.

Chevy Bolt EV

Refuse to buy gas powered vehicles Install electric conversion kits in place of the gas engine in used vehicles.

electric vehicles are popular and in big demand on the west coast. Electric conversion costs about $8000, including parts, electric motor, batteries and installation. Thus, a zero-emissions vehicle that costs only a few cents per mile to run.

According to treehugger.com, gasoline-powered cars are the most inefficient devices that many of us use daily. We really should all be driving electric vehicles or none at all. Converted

Refuse to buy new products that operate on natural gasPurchase electric heat pumps or quartz infrared heaters that heat up to 1000 square feet and are highly energy efficient. Prepare for the time when renewable energy is available.

Refuse to purchase hot water heaters that operate on Natural (fracked) Gas...Install a solar hot-water heater that harnesses the sun’s unlimited, free energy or purchase solar panels and an electric hot water heater

Tank or Tankless

Refuse to buy chemical based products Purchase or make your own home supplies and clean up, naturally.

Use natural, non-toxic cleaners or make your own, using vinegar, baking soda, borax and lemon juice.

Refuse to buy petroleum based plastic

bottles, jars and containers Glass products are not toxic! Take glass containers to the deli or meat counter.

Glass products are safely REUSABLE!!

• Glass never deteriorates• Glass DOES NOT LEACH

Refuse to buy plastic and disposable bags Usable natural fabric bags & baskets are much safer and not toxic

Refuse to purchase chemical based lawn and garden products Purchase or Make your own Natural Supplies Learn to say NO to the big suppliers of pesticides, lawn fertilizers, weed killers and other chemical based products. (Use white vinegar to kill weeds)

The ingredients for lawn fertilizers include beer, soda, mouthwash, ammonia and dish soap.

Make compost by mixing and managing organic waste (plant and animal materials and by-products).

Reduce cross-country distribution of products Shop locally for locally grown and handmade products to reduce shipping fuels.

The Farmers' Curb Market is a great place to shop for chem-free food

Buy in Bulk

Reduce usage of Oil and Gasoline:Walk It's good for your health and good for our planet.Ride bicycles and E-Velomobiles short distances to school or work and for shopping Reduce drive time and carpool Save gasRide mass transit for longer distances

Reduce manufacturing and shipping fuels Purchase reusable and restored items.

Air-dry Laundry Clothes lines save money and also decrease your carbon-dioxide emissions. Run washers on cold, and use only when full.

Reduce consumption of Electricity:

Wash dishes by hand or in energy-efficient dishwashers, only when full, and let them air-dry. Save energy by drying dishes.Turn off appliances, TV systems and e-gadgets They use electricity even when turned off. Flicking off power strip switches when not in use effectively unplugs them.

Adjust Thermostats Lower in winter, higher in summer. Use a programmable thermostat.

Insulate Home Seal & caulk doors and windows.

Cut the Lights Turn off lights when not needed.

Reduce consumption of ElectricityReplace old lighting fixtures with LED lighting. LED light bulbs use about 70 percent less energy than regular bulbs and last 10 to 12 times longer.

Replace old A/C with a heat pump having a SEER rating of 13 and add a programmable thermostat.

Reduce consumption of Natural Gas...Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F. Take short showers instead of baths.

Lower the thermostat on your natural gas or forced air furnace in the winter and turn it off in the spring and fall. Replace it with an electric heat pump when renewable energy is available.

Reconnect with Nature and Neighbors!

-Dunlieth Garden, Aycock District, Greensboro, NC

Create community gardens and orchards

Reconnect with Neighbors!Help develop and shop at green arts and craft districts that support local regenerative businesses

The major goals of the Green Arts and Crafts District in Oberlin, Ohio, are to create local employment, income growth, community development and a reduction in shipping fuel.

Replenish the EarthGrow and Purchase Organic or Chem-Free Food Only Organic food usually costs more; however, they usually lower medical bills. When the demand for organic food increases, the growers and suppliers will have to respond.

Composting all fruit and vegetable scraps replenishes the soil and feeds the earthworms and little critters.

Replenish the Air with Oxygen: Plant trees, tall grasses, orchards, vegetable and flower gardens

Gso residents plant trees in their neighborhood and community park through the NeighborWoods Program

Replenish and Recycle WaterBiological Filtration Systems / "Living Machines"offer a natural, eco-friendly and healthy alternative to costly traditional water treatment plants.

John Todd’s attractive solution to waste- water management uses plants to clean up water at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY

The students at Oberlin College made the below Living Machine.

Recycle all containers that must be purchased Nationwide, only 10% of plastic bottles5.2% of plastic bags 21% of paper bags get recycled.

• The plastic bottles and bags that get recycled are transported to a factory, re-melted and re-casted.• This takes 2/3 the amount of energy used to make the original product. • In the recycling process more chemicals are used and much water is used and polluted. Recycling is not a long-term solution... Refusing to purchase is the only real solution...

Recycled paper products are less toxic than plastic and Styrofoam cups and plates.

Conserve trees, buy recycled paper products.

Respect NatureFeed the birds and bees and do not use pesticides Lend a helping hand, plant a pollinator garden of yellow, blue and purple flowers.

Restore natural areas: by planting edible ground cover, herbs, berry bushes and TREES. We need oxygen to reduce our carbon footprint.

Get rid of electric/gas-guzzling lawn mowers.

"Sustainable Village" by Kathy Brusnighan

This land could be revitalized and used for building sustainable villages for homeless, jobless and displaced people.

Restoring the millions of acres that have been destroyed by mining and extraction companies and retraining employees needs to be a top priority for the fossil fuel industry and our government.

By working together, we can turn today's wastelands into tomorrow's new frontiers.

Rethink your investments & employmentSupport "Green" and Socially Conscious or Profit Sharing Businesses & Cooperatives

Bank Locally at CU’s

Investing time, energy and money in polluting companies & banks owned by the fossil fuel giants reinforces the problem

Invest Wisely

Remember:Take reusable bags and glass jars/containers when shoppingSome US communities, such as Oberlin, Ohio, have achieved a zero-carbon footprint by following many of the above steps! If small cities can accomplish this, then every neighborhood in the US can too!

Resist

Ignore all the alluring commercials, schemes, advertisements and fear-based propaganda.

Remember:Strongly urge Town or City Council Members to: * REQUIRE that solar panels be installed on the rooftops of all parking decks, public and government buildings and that solar-paneled carports with charging stations be constructed in parking lots * MANDATE all developers to install solar panels on new construction and plant large trees around shopping centers, housing complexes and new roadways where urban forests have been destroyed * MANDATE all city departments to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals * ENFORCE a moratorium on the clear-cutting of forests for development

Remember:Also, encourage Town or City Council Members to:

* ESTABLISH permaculture gardens, greenhouses and orchards within city limits and nearby counties, so consumers will have an abundance of locally grown and chemical-free food * REMOVE all vending machines from public and government buildings (plastic bottles are highly polluting and the electricity needs to be used for necessities)* ENCOURAGE all fitness centers to convert to muscle energy, which can be harnessed during the use of stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, etc.* DEVELOP hydroponic filtration systems in every residential neighborhood

Remember:Write or call local utility company Tell them that you want renewable energy and removal from the coal-fired grid and natural gas pipeline.

Petition oil companies & auto makers Demand renewable energy products, charging stations and electric vehicles

Write or call State Legislators Urge them to develop local clean energy sources and to move our state towards energy independence.

TELL DECISION MAKERS WE HAVE A RIGHT TO CLEAN ENERGY, AIR, SOIL, WATER AND FOOD!!

References:*All Topics: Sierra Club Magazine and Website (http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife or /compass)

*Solar Energy: The Ecologist, (http://www.theecologist.org)

*What we can do: NC Conservation Network (http://ncconservation- network.org)

*Green Solutions: Toxic Free NC (http://www.toxicfreeNC.org)

*Live without plastic: My Plastic-free Life (www.myplasticfreelife.com)

*Converting Your Car to an Electric Vehicle: Treehugger (www.treehugger.com)

Suggested Readings:

The Great Work by Thomas BerryThe Great Turning by David C. KortenThe Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century by Paul KrugmanUniverse Story by Thomas Berry and Brian SwimmeActive Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry

Let's Explore, Enjoy and Protect Our Planet!!!

“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.” --Berkeley Ecology Center